€556,977

In the collection of a major collector dispersed on 22 October at Drouot (Thierry de Maigret auction house), enamels from Canton and Beijing made up the lion's share of the pieces sold. The collection made a total of €556,977 in 105 lots. The most sought-after item fetched €43,820, quadrupling its estimate: the lidded bowl with gilt bronze mountings shown in the photo. Meanwhile its counterpart, unadorned by any Western additions, made €33,804. Sold with a multi-unit option, they were both bought by an Asian buyer. The division between Asian and Western markets was 50-50 for the entire collection. Historically, the enamels produced in Canton were mainly intended for export. Those produced in Beijing, of a higher quality, benefited from the interest of the imperial court, as the Kangxi Emperor (1661-1722) had introduced training for a large number of specialists in the imperial workshops. These bowls could have come from there, in the light of a model also decorated with a twisting blue dragon in the centre of the lid and on the underside, which was exhibited in New York by the Chinese Porcelain Company in 1993. We know from the imperial workshop archives for the Yangxing Hall that not all pieces were systematically marked; this obligation dates very precisely from the 26th day of the 12th month in the 14th year of Qianlong's reign, i.e. 1750.

.Content - Number 41

Fondation Louis Vuitton. This is a foundation that inspires superlatives. A star architect (Frank Gehry) who has designed an extraordinary building, a collection revealed to the public gaze (but only partially), and a carefully devised cultural programme, all overseen by the LVMH group, the world number one in luxury, and its figurehead CEO, Bernard Arnault.In principle, it is also a project in harmony with the actions carried out by the group with its 60 prestigious brands.

Photography is making an appearance at Drouot during Paris Photo, the international fair at the Grand Palais which will be attracting crowds of photography lovers and collectors from all over the world. Several sales will be highlighting the speciality, including a preview on 6 November, with some sixty NASA pictures celebrating nearly a decade of space conquest between. At this sale, staged by the Yann Le Mouel auction house, it will also be possible to land this print by Pieter Hugo…

In the collection of a major collector dispersed on 22 October at Drouot (Thierry de Maigret auction house), enamels from Canton and Beijing made up the lion's share of the pieces sold. The collection made a total of €556,977 in 105 lots. The most sought-after item fetched €43,820, quadrupling its estimate: the lidded bowl with gilt bronze mountings shown in the photo. Meanwhile its counterpart, unadorned by any Western additions, made €33,804…

Hokusai on the crest of a wave. While the Grand Palais highlights the Japanese master's works six years after the Musée Guimet, these works are becoming increasingly rare in the market."As dawn was breaking, we saw Japan. Just at the appointed hour, it appeared, still distant, at a precise point in the sea that had been an empty expanse for so many days"... "Madame Chrysanthème", an account of Pierre Loti's journey to the Land of the Rising Sun, was published in Paris in 1887…

The 18th century, birth of design…The aim of this ambitious show at the Château de Versailles is to display masterpieces and works that are well-known but have never been on show, and to reveal their diversity of forms and materials: in short, to demonstrate their wealth of invention. The ebony cabinets are examples of the very earliest cabinetmaking (the technique of veneered furniture) in Paris. In the early 17th century, the Guild of Parisian master joiners…

On the evening of Sunday 26 October, the doors of the Grand Palais finally closed on the 41st edition of the FIAC. This year's fair finished on an optimistic note: for most of the 191 galleries taking part, the sales barometer seemed set fair. The VIP preview set the tone, with the great collector François Pinault alone making around 40 purchases, according to "Le Quotidien de l'Art". Impeccable timing: this weekend, Bernard Arnault, Pinault's rival as much in business as in culture…

Paris Tableau exhibitors seek several laudable goals: promoting the dealer's profession, bringing original pieces to light, and sniffing out landmark works, sometimes after lengthy research. There will be 24 of them this year (11 French and 13 international galleries) and two framers, presenting over 500 works estimated at between €10,000 and €4 million in an area of 1,500 m². New gallery owners – Thomas Agnews & Sons (London), Matteo Grassi (Grassi Studio, New York), Maurizio Nobile…